In colonic lavage systems, it is customary to employ fairly sophisticated pumping devices for pumping water at a predetermined pressure level through a speculum into the colon and which will, automatically in response to a predetermined pressure level, close a valve between the speculum and pumping system while opening another valve to permit water and waste material to drain through a drain hose into a suitable collection container. A system of this type is set forth and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,056 assigned to the assignee of this invention.
In the past, systems have been devised which minimize the requirement for sophisticated pumping systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,626 to F. A. Mayberry is directed to a portable colonic irrigator which employs gravity flow from a syringe bag under the control of a check valve and manually operated valve in a line which leads to an irrigating tube. U.S. Pat. No. 1,588,032 to A. Klaiber is directed to a system for the medical treatment of the intestines in which an air bulb is employed to inject air into a hose leading from a tank containing a medicinal compound. U.S. Pat. No. 1,042,549 to S. B. Goff employs pressure bulbs to direct water from a supply tank into nozzles in a bidet. U.S. Pat. No. 972,201 to J. Kussart discloses a syringe in which bulb pressure activates valves with one bulb operating to force liquid through a nozzle and the other to withdraw liquid from the cavity. U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,552 to Waysilk et al relies upon gravity feed to direct water into the patient. Other representative patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 906,711 to M. Hill et al, 1,217,692 to J. B. Bookman, 2,252,569 to R. S. Kennison, 2,955,596 to M. H. Knoch, 3,004,537 to R. Turliuc and 4,504,270 to R. E. Miller.
There is a need for a simplified colonic lavage system which does not require a sophisticated, bulky pumping system and which can result in a highly portable, lightweight system containing a minimum number of parts and which is under the complete control of the patient or operator at all times.